Aves, 50/3 | 2013 | 143-154

50 years of birdwatching in wallonian farmlands: from observation to action
Jean-Yves Paquet & Jean-Paul Jacob

Article summary

Over the last half-century, the status of many farmland birds has deteriorated sharply, in Wallonia as elsewhere in Europe.On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the bird study society Aves, we discuss the main contributions concerning farmland birds of Wallonia. These contributions are in addition to the monitoring programs (Common Bird Monitoring, Distribution Atlas...) which help to establish accurate diagnostics.The work of ornithologists is not limited to observations alone. Actions, often in collaboration with other partners, have and are being taken. These actions concentrate on the issue of pesticides, on the losses of the networks of hedges, on the degradation of grassland, and more recently, on the loss of spaces that are required by species of open fields.